Letters: Democrats’ hypocrisy on the filibuster

Re “The post-nuclear Senate,” Editorial, Nov. 24

You gloss over the hypocrisy of the president and the Democrats in the Senate who imposed the nuclear option.

These are the same people who, when the Republicans threatened to impose the nuclear option during the George W. Bush administration, appealed to the Republicans not to act because of the impact on minority party rights. In recognition of tradition, and understanding that what goes around comes around, the Republican majority acquiesced.

Now that the shoe is on the other foot, the Democrats decided to forgo tradition and the spirit of collegiality and impose the nuclear option. That will ensure even further division in Congress.

Perhaps if the Democrats had not decided to sabotage Ronald Reagan’s nomination of Robert Bork for the Supreme Court on the basis of political philosophy — and Bork was a legal scholar and eminently qualified to sit on the court — we wouldn’t be where we are today with judicial nominations.

Emanuel R. Baker

Los Angeles

At last the filibuster is ended for most administration appointments.

The Republicans call this a power grab. So what was their use of the filibuster to hold up President Obama’s judicial nominations?

I would call that a power grab.

Julie May

Los Angeles

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